I'm sorry, Tony
by wolfypuppypiles
Summary: Based on the two second scene on the Infinity wars trailer where Peter is on the ground apologizing to Tony. There's too much blood, and he is so so young. This was all his fault. He couldn't lose Peter.
1. Chapter 1

Explosions shook the ground and fire raged around them, as twisted metal lay scattered. Tony blocked it all out until he heard that scream.

Gangly limbs, those of a teenager that hadn't yet reached the end of his growth spurt, flew across his vision, and his heart leapt in his chest.

Peter hit the ground hard, thrown by one of the twisted alien figures that Thanos had summoned. He rolled, body smashing over rocks and debris until finally coming to a stop, in a crumpled heap.

The battlefield was nothing but sound, and destruction, but it was all silent as a church for Tony. All he could see was that body, writhing in agony, weakly trying to protect himself from the monster looming above him.

Every thought left Tony's mind, every distraction and sound, except his need to protect the kid that he'd brought into this mess.

Lights flashed and explosions boomed loud in his ears as he pummelled the alien creature into the ground, killing it for the transgression of even touching his kid.

He panted as he looked down at the body of the thing he'd killed, out of breath, but not from the fight. He almost didn't want to turn around, he didn't want to see Peter so hurt. But what else could he do.

He could hear the small whimpers coming from the wounded form behind him, and he swallowed his guilt and ran towards the boy, kneeling down beside him as he took off his own mask.

"Peter, shh, I need you to calm down and take some deep breaths for me. I'm going to take your mask off."

The battle around them raged but it was growing distant, the others taking the fight away from their new team member.

Peter was trying to curl into himself, hands shaking as he tried to press against his damaged chest to stop the bleeding. But it hurt so badly he could only let out pained gasps as he tried to follow his hero's instruction.

He tried to remain still as he sucked air into his trembling lips, and he blinked against the light as his mask came off.

Tony's worried face hovered above him, scratched and bloodied from his own wounds in battle.

Peter tried to speak through his fear and pain, his crushed ribs making it difficult to pull in air.

"I'm sorry, Tony." The older man held his shoulder as he surveyed the damage to the kid. The alien had smashed into him, breaking bones across his chest, and one of its clawed hands had pierced through his suit. He was bleeding, badly, and if they didn't get help for him soon…

"Shh, kid. You're gonna be okay."

"I'm sorry."

Tony shook his head, tears threatening to fall as he took Peters shaking hands and pressed them to the wound. There was too much blood, slipping down the teenager's side to stain the ground beneath him, and Tony knew that image would visit him in sleep for the rest of his life.

He took a deep breath and tried to quell his rising panic.

"You don't have anything to apologize for. You did great out there, but you have to stay still now and let me fix this."

Peter managed a weak nod, breath coming in erratic pants as his eyes grew unfocussed.

"Okay."

Tony didn't know what to do, they'd never reach help in time. God, this was all his fault.

"I'm so sorry Peter, I shouldn't have gotten you into this."

Those intelligent eyes, usually so bright and excited, were glassy as he blinked up at the sky, body growing weaker under Stark's hands.

"No, this is the dream. I mean, not this part…this part sucks." His voice was growing faint, and Tony quickly sent a message to another team member through his suit, hoping they'd be able to help.

"But I get to be a hero and help people…or got to, I guess. Aunt May is gonna be so upset."

Damn this kid. Tony quickly wiped at his eyes, knowing he had to do something before Peter bled out under his hands.

"Peter, I have to-"

Those eyes snapped to Tony's, pleading and so, so young.

"Can you look after her for me? She doesn't have anyone else. I wrote…her a letter, just in case anything happened to me…I wrote one for Ned too. Can you…make sure they get them? Please?"

Tony shook his head, clenching his teeth, because no, he would not be losing Peter.

"You can talk to them once we get you fixed up and back home, all right?"

Those blood slick fingers curled around Tony's as the kid looked up at him.

"I wrote one for you and Happy too. To say thank you…They're in my bedroom. Well, I guess you'll…be able to see them in the camera footage from the suit huh."

He was already giving up, he hadn't even finished school yet and he was bleeding out in the dirt, and saying goodbye. Tony's voice was harder than he meant it to be.

"No! You're not going anywhere, you're going to be fine because I am going to fix this."

Peter squeezed Tony's hand and coughed, red coating his lips in a splatter of colour.

"It hurts so bad. And I'm-" He coughed again, eyes squeezing shut from the pain it elicited in his chest. He finished his sentence with a raspy breath that tasted of copper.

"I'm scared." His voice shook, as tears pooled in his eyes, trailing down his temples, and he looked so damn young. Tony's strength crumbled, and he ducked his head as tears fell. Peter was a child, he didn't deserve this.

"Peter."

Footsteps came, quick and quiet across the debris around them, and Tony spun to face whoever it was.

Mantis, came across the rubble to meet them, her gentle face awash with concern as her huge eyes took in the figure on the ground.

"You called for my help. I cannot heal him."

Tony relaxed a little, and nodded at her. "I know, but I need to seal this wound and it's going to hurt. I need you to help him with the pain."

The girl…alien… being, came to kneel at Peters head, gently placing her hands at his temples. She tilted her head, as if thinking about something, before looking to Stark.

"He is in agony, he is also afraid. He wants to see the people the loves one more time."

Tony clenched his teeth. "I know. I need you to make him feel better."

She blinked and turned back to the boy, his heavy eyes finding it hard to stay open. His face relaxed a little, the lines of pain smoothing just enough to allow him to breath deeper.

Tony didn't want to do it, but he needed to if he wanted to save the kid.

"Peter, I'm so sorry but I have to close this wound. I have to stop the bleeding. It's going to hurt but I need you to try and stay awake. Do you understand me?"

Those eyes slowly drifted to Stark, blinking a few times, before he finally nodded. He was fading fast.

Tony made a few adjustments to the blast settings in his suit, selecting a beam he'd never had the cause to use before now. Lifting a hand, he hovered it over Peters chest, and moved the kids shaking hands away.

He looked to those eyes once more, seeing the trust in them. Trust he didn't deserve.

"I'm sorry."

The light beam turned on, and Peter began to scream. His body writhed underneath Tony's hold, as he tried to escape the pain. Tony did his best to hold him down but he had only one arm to use.

He was attempting to cauterize the stab wound with a low beam, and although it worked, it was not an ideal option. Peter could go into shock from the pain alone, and Tony would have done anything to take the pain away.

Screams of agony tore through Peters throat, piercing the air, and making Tony's heart ache with guilt and grief.

Mantis was quietly trying to shush the boy, grunting in discomfort as she tried to take some of the pain for him. She could block some of the pain, but there was so much of it, it all came rushing through at once.

It was almost done, the wound was sealing, but the air smelt like burnt flesh and blood, and Peters screams were turning into broken sobs, and Tony couldn't listen anymore.

"Please, stop! Please, it hurts!"

"Knock him out, make him go to sleep, Mantis, now!"

The alien nodded, sending a command to sleep through the boy's head. It was like a gentle hand across a cheek, or a soft smile and a whispered word; it calmed the mind and left nothing but peace. The screaming faded to weak sobs, and his body slumped to the ground, tear-filled eyes falling shut as he succumbed to the darkness.

The sobs faded, leaving nothing but shallow pants behind, and the sound of the beam burning.

Tony shut the beam off once the wound was sealed, and placed two fingers at the kid's throat, watching that chest rise and fall in shallow, strained heaves as he listened to Peters heartbeat.

Thhumpthump…thump…thump…..thumpthump

It was much too weak and erratic, but it was there, and Tony sighed in relief as he took one of the younger man's hands in his.

"You'll be okay kid, just hang on."

Mantis released her hold on Peter and watched as Tony gathered the teenager in his arms. Being as careful as he could, he cradled the limp body to his chest.

"I'm going to get him somewhere safe, I'll be back but I have to make sure he's okay first."

The alien nodded, and touched a finger to Tony's forehead. Suddenly his mind was calm, and he could think clearly about what needed to be done. Her voice was kind.

"You will save him."

He nodded to her in thanks and left. He would save him.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony flew to the nearest hospital; which was difficult because the evacuation perimeter was so wide. He spoke to the child gathered in his arms, cradled against his chest, and tried to give him comfort, while he prayed the kid was still alive.

When he finally arrived, it was almost completely empty of patients and civilians, with only minimal staff left in case they were needed, and Tony was grateful there wouldn't be too many witnesses or distractions.

He lay the pale, unconscious, teenager on a nearby gurney, as doctors and nurses crowded around him, yelling things.

"Is that Spiderman? He's a kid!"

"What's his name?"

"What happened to him?"

"Are the aliens coming here?"

Tony couldn't look away from the limp form on the stretcher. He was so small and defenceless. His fingers were loosely curled, face almost peaceful, head turned to the side with his hair splayed over the pillow.

Blood soaked his entire torso, suit ripped apart, and his lips were still splattered with the red he'd coughed up earlier.

How could he have gotten him involved? He should be at home, safe, studying, or worrying about how to get a girlfriend, not fighting for his life in a foreign country.

He stuttered out a reply, voice small and tired.

"Call him Peter. He's…fifteen, blood type A positive. He was stabbed so I cauterized the wound but he lost a lot of blood. His… I think his ribs might be broken too. Keep his identity a secret, it's important, do you understand me? No one see's him or talks to him unless absolutely necessary… and don't leave him alone."

His last request was less for security's sake and more for Peter's comfort. Tony didn't want him to feel scared, and the thought of leaving the poor kid alone made his heart ache.

They all nodded and began to move the gurney away, but Tony took Peters hand one last time.

"I'll come back for you, just hang on for me, all right?"

He squeezed the limp hand, before gently placing it on the bed, and watched them take Peter away.

He saw them roll the bed away, watched him disappear through those doors, but he couldn't move.

He needed to get back to the fight, he needed to get Peters blood off his hands, he needed – he threw up.

A young nurse patted the back of his suit, and helped him clean himself up, offering a reassuring smile.

"We'll take good care of him, Mr Stark."

Tony thanked her, and remembered the name pinned to her shirt, so that he could properly thank her later, before heading back to the fight that still raged on.

…

Peters world was nothing but blinding pain and panic. He was an animal, desperate to get away from the thing causing him so much agony, but the thing held him down and burnt his flesh anyway.

He begged the thing to stop; mind consumed with the smell of his own burning skin, unable to hear his own pleading voice amid the screams tearing through the air. Funny, how they sounded like a twisted, tortured version of his own voice.

And then, when he thought he could take no more, he was consumed in the black. But it was calm, and the pain wasn't so bad. He thought he may be dying, but in that moment, he almost hoped he was. He didn't want to feel that pain again.

He drifted for a while, not knowing where or what he was, but before long he heard that voice again.

"..Peter…okay, kid…here…hang on."

Then something gripped his hand, strong and reassuring, and Peter thought that maybe he shouldn't give up just yet. That voice was so familiar, and the wavering words made him feel as though he should try harder, to make the tremors, that were laced within each syllable, go away.

And then the hand and the voice left, and he drifted once more.

….

"…ood kid, he practically begged me to let him come. He wanted to be a hero, Tony. You wouldn't have been able to stop him from coming."

"Yeah, and now I've made him a martyr. The way he screamed… and he was begging me to stop, I had to hold him down…Did you tell his Aunt?"

"She's coming with his best friend, that…Ned, I think. They're on one of your jets, as you requested. They'll be here by tonight."

A sigh, and that voice. Peter knew that voice, and those names made his heart beat faster.

Something beeped, nearby, and the voices paused before, the talking continued.

"What am I supposed to tell them, Happy?"

Heavy footsteps, like tired boots, and then another familiar voice. It was kind, the rumble of it comforting.

"You'll figure it out, Stark. You never seem to run out of words."

Peter listened to the chatter, using it to help him swim closer to the surface. He wasn't exactly sure of where he was, or what had happened but it sounded bad, Tony's voice was so sad. Tony, he knew him.

"Cap, how's James doing?"

More footsteps, then a deep voice, rough and a little unsure.

"I'm fine, thanks. He's that kid we fought before I went back in the ice, isn't he?"

The captains voice replied, as Tony made a noise of discomfort at the 'kid' comment.

"Peter. He really looks up to you Tony, and from what I've heard he wouldn't have taken no for an answer about this fight."

"What do you know about him?"

Caps voice came closer. "I dropped a truck on him the first time I met him, I wanted to make sure he was okay."

"Let me guess, Natasha helped you hack my system so you two could spy on me."

"I didn't do any hacking….she emailed me the files."

Another sigh. "Why didn't you just ask me for them?"

"You would have tracked me and brought me in. I'm a fugitive remember?"

"Not anymore, you helped saved the universe. I'm pretty sure the worlds forgiven you."

"But you can't forgive yourself." That voice was closer now, and so sincere. Tony's was quiet in reply.

"…I break everything I get close to. It's why Pepper left. Why Peter's…"

There was a soft noise, like a hand on a shoulder."Peter looks up to you, and he wouldn't have survived if you hadn't done what you did. I could hear it, and I'm sorry you had to do that. He'll be okay, he heals faster than most. You know that."

"Thanks Steve." It's the first time Stark has used the Captains real name, and he sounds sincere. Peter's head is clearer but he's still so tired, and the closer he comes to waking, the more pain he's in. So, he sinks instead, giving in to his exhaustion and letting it all melt away.


	3. Chapter 3

When Peter woke up, the first thing he was aware of, were the voices. They came and went, some familiar, others new, but they gave him comfort all the same.

"Can we keep the lights low, and the noise to a minimum in here? He's…sensitive, and if there's too much going on it'll just make it more difficult for him. How'd the scans go?"

That was Tony, and he sounded tired. It felt like he'd been there a long time, although Peter didn't know how long had passed since…whatever happened, happened. He wasn't exactly sure on the details, everything was too fuzzy or scary to think about for too long.

Then there were other voices, and someone was holding his hand. Their touch was gentle, and there was the occasional splatter of water on his skin, accompanied by sniffles and sobs. It sounded like his Aunt May. He hated it when she cried.

"He looks so little, oh my poor baby. He needs another blanket, he isn't even wearing a shirt!"

His hand was let go, and something was making noise, like fabric rubbing against itself, but it was soft and soon it was the weight that settled on top of him.

He could feel his body now, and it hurt. Something was wrong with his chest, it was far too tight; but something told him that it had been worse before. When was before? What had happened to him? And what was that incessant beeping?

Peter frowned a little in his sleep, eyebrows furrowing just enough that the three people in the room took notice. They'd been watching him for hours, waiting for any sign that he'd wake; they wouldn't miss it now.

Aunt May's voice came again, letting out a gasp as he took his hand. "Oh, Peter? Wake up, that's it. Come on honey, open your eyes."

Peter's fingers curled around his aunts, as he furrowed his brows further, trying to fight his fatigue and wake properly. Everyone leaned in, eager to see the hero regain consciousness, after worrying over him for so long.

Finally, those tired eyes, blinked open. It was slow, and they were unfocussed but they were open. The teenager blinked at the wall, having his chest raised to help him breathe easier. He still didn't know where he was, but Tony was there, as he'd thought, arms crossed and expression one of concern as he watched the kid from the end of his bed. Aunt May was sitting beside him, and he slowly rolled his head towards her to look up at her tear stained face.

"Peter? Can you hear me, sweet heart? Say something so I know you're okay."

He felt better with her there, he'd missed her. It felt like he hadn't seen her in so long, and his face slowly melted into a smile. His voice was slow and slurred, but he managed to push his words from his heavy tongue.

"I l-larb you, Aunt May." The woman laughed, face lighting up at her nephew's dopey expression, his eyes a little glassy and bright, and his smile as sweet as when he was a toddler.

Tony looked like he was about to pass out, and Ned's eyes were filling up with tears, as he squeaked out a few words. "Oh my god, he's brain damaged."

May let out another laugh as she explained, brushing back Peter's hair lovingly. "No, it's okay, he's okay. It's a little joke we have."

She leant forward and pressed a kiss to Peter's forehead, before wiping her eyes and replying in a shaky voice. "I larb you too, honey. I'm so glad you're awake, we were all so worried."

"So, he's okay? You're really okay?"

Peter rolled his heavy, bowling ball, head across the pillow to look at Ned. He seemed unsure of what to think of the whole situation, fidgeting in his chair beside the bed, until Peter offered a shaky fist; an invitation for their secret handshake.

Ned sighed in relief, whole body sagging, as he accepted and completed the ritual, not even bothered by Peter's clumsy half. "Oh, thank god. I thought I'd lost my only friend."

May made a noise of indignation. "Um, what about me?"

Ned quickly amended, as Tony smirked at their antics. "Oh, sorry Mrs Parker. You know what I mean."

Peter watched as Tony patted the kids leg and took his leave. He looked a little lost, like he felt out of place with the small family. Peter caught his eye as he left, and the older man paused long enough to nod at him, before leaving. It was a small gesture but Peter knew what the small, reassuring smile meant.

 _I'm glad you're okay. I'm not leaving, just giving you some time._

Peter turned back to his friend as he spewed questions, voice loud and excited in the quiet hospital.

"Dude, Captain America was waiting in here when we arrived- OH! And we got to ride on Mr Starks private jet! It was so cool, they had candy everywhere on that thing. This hospital's like, abandoned but the waiting room was full, and they were all Avengers! I didn't even know all their names and I think there was a raccoon in there too, but he was wearing pants. Are you friends with all of them? Cause I'm pretty sure the red guy wasn't even human."

Tony leant against the wall outside the kids room, listening to him mumble a reply to his overly excited friend, before said friend let out a yell.

"He's an android? NO WAY!"

Tony couldn't help but laugh a little. At least someone was enjoying their trip. He rubbed a hand over his eyes, wishing he could sleep, but knowing it would only bring him nightmares. At least Peter was okay.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and he turned to see Bruce there with a reassuring smile.

"How is he?"

Tony considered his answer. "Awake, and talking. I don't know how he's going to recover from this but-"

Banner shrugged, not as worried as Tony seemed to be. "He heals fast, in fact his scans came back and they were really good. I'm impressed actually, he'll barely even have a scar."

Tony ducked his head, and Bruce sighed, knowing that wasn't what he'd meant. "He has people that love him, and he has you. He'll be all right, Tony."

The man didn't move from his lean against the wall, and Dr Banner put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him down the hall.

"You need to get some rest and eat something, and you'd better be quick on that last part cause the space rangers already raided all the vending machines and the cafeteria is severely understaffed."

Tony sent one last look to Peter's room before following his friend. The kid was strong, and he'd already proven, multiple times, that he wouldn't give up on something just because it was hard.

He'd be okay, because Tony would make sure of it.


	4. Chapter 4

Rocket laughed manically as he crawled up onto Groot's shoulders and pointed to the present that the tree was handing Stark.

"We grew it from one of Groot's toes that got cut off in the fight. He wanted the Spider baby to have them, he said he likes him better than our Peter."

The tree smiled as Tony took the gift. "I am Groot."

Rocket frowned at his friend. "I already put that in the card."

Groot looked up with what Tony could only describe as a cheeky grin. "I am Groot. I ammm Groot."

The racoon smacked the tree on the side of the head, baring his teeth as he snarled. "Don't tell him that! I'll give it back when I'm finished, I just thought it would be funny to see him fly without a butt."

Tony didn't even want to know what they were talking about, but smiled at the now giggling tree as Rocket chewed playfully on his head.

"Thanks …. You two. I'll give it to him."

He sighed as he walked to Peter's room, trying to get the scary image of the talking animal and plant duo out of his head. Oh well, just another thing to give him nightmares.

Tony could hear a scuffle as he walked down the hall. Voices talking, followed by a crash and a small yelp as if someone had fallen. He ran down the hall to Peters room, heart hammering in his chest with worry at what could have caused the noise. But when he got there, he was greeted with the sight of Ned toppled over in a wheelchair, as May Parker tried to help her nephew from his bed.

Tony took a moment to sigh in relief before going over to help Ned off the floor, and right the wheelchair.

"I think you need a little more practice." Ned blushed, embarrassed, and picked Peter's bags up from the floor.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm helping."

Tony offered him a smile and turned back to Peter, who was still laughing at his friend. He was healed enough to be sent home, so Tony was transferring him to Avenger tower to heal completely. He knew he had to let the kid go home at some point but he didn't like the idea of sending Peter home when he couldn't even walk properly yet.

He was still weak from the trauma he endured, and although he was healing faster than most, he still needed time to get stronger.

May's hands were around his waist as he tried to stand from the bed, his legs were shaky and one of his arms came to wrap protectively around his chest.

Tony instinctively reached out his hands to catch the kid should he fall. He wanted to hold back and let May handle it, but he couldn't stop himself when Peter let out a whimper, his knees buckling just a little.

Tony dropped the gift he'd brought and caught the teenager, giving May a small smile.

"I got him. Ned get the chair over here." The other boy hurried over, wheeling the chair close enough that Tony would be able to ease Peter into it.

Peter held onto Tony's arm as he was supported into the seat, sighing in relief when he was sitting down again. Stark patted his shoulder.

"Just take it slow, Pete."

The kid smiled up at him and blushed as he lifted his arms so May could tuck a blanket around his lap. Ned laughed a little, holding Peters bags to his chest.

"You look like an old man."

May laughed and leant down to squish Peters cheek with her kiss. "No, he looks like my wonderful little man."

Tony could tell that Peter was embarrassed, who wouldn't be? Peter was Spider-Man, he swung from buildings and caught cars with his bare hands and now he couldn't even walk by himself.

Stark cleared his throat and picked up the present he'd previously dropped on the floor. He handed it to the Spider-Man, smiling at his wide eyes.

"The plants from the …. I think they called themselves the guardians of the galaxy. Their tree thing grew them for you. And then he told me his name for the millionth time. Anyway, they also sent a card."

Peter held the pot in his lap, it was actually a coffee cup from a vending machine, but it had a ribbon around it, and a bundle of small flowers growing up from inside. Peter wasn't much for flowers but they were beautiful, they glowed softly and he was pretty sure they were singing.

Tony passed over a card, which had a sick teddy bear on the front that someone had drawn over, in scribbly pen, to make the bear look mad, with claws and teeth. It looked more like a racoon. Inside were the signatures of the avengers, new and old, as well as their new friends from space. Steve's handwriting was in the middle, large letter's displaying their message.

"You did a good job out there, and we couldn't have done it without you. Get better and we'll see you on the next mission."

Peter felt himself tearing up, as he looked at the signatures of all his hero's. They cared about him. He sniffed and wiped his eyes, trying to pretend like he wasn't about to cry.

Tony smiled and pretended not to see.

"We'd better get you home and healed up. I'm having a party at my place for all of them and you're invited. I've set it for a few weeks so you have time to get back into shape."

Peter's eyes went wide as Ned tried to contain his excitement and May looked unsure.

"Really? A party?"

Tony shrugged, as if it weren't a big deal. "Yeah, last time we saved New York we went out for lunch and this battle was a lot more intense. I thought we deserved to celebrate." He turned to May, his hands raised in surrender. "Don't worry, it won't get out of hand. I know it seems like it would with so many super powers in one room, but Captain Perfect can't even get drunk, and he always keeps everything in line."

May looked like she was about to answer, when Peter took her sleeve. "Aunt May? Could I talk to Mr Stark, alone? I just… have to ask him something."

The woman looked concerned but smiled and kissed her nephew on the forehead. "Okay, sweet heart. Ned and I will be waiting outside."

She took the other kids arm and left, Tony looking down at the teenager uncertainly. He had a few things he wanted to say himself, and when Peter didn't say anything, he took a seat on the bed next to the kids wheelchair.

"You okay, Pete?"

That face, now thankfully free from most of his bruises and cuts, peered up at him. "I just wanted to thank you, for saving me again. I'm sorry I couldn't help more…I tried to do what you said and think about my moves more. It all just happened so fast and that guy was huge, he didn't even-"

Tony quickly stopped his rambling, laying a hand on his shoulder. "No, it's okay. You did really good, Peter. You didn't do anything wrong."

The boy sighed in relief. "Oh, good. I just thought you might be mad at me, because you haven't really been saying much and you…don't seem to be able to look at me."

Tony swallowed. He'd hoped he hadn't noticed, but looking at Peter made him feel sick. Seeing him hurt and weak, and knowing it was his fault…he couldn't get past it. He couldn't sleep without Peter's screams and plea's invading his mind. He removed his hand from the teenagers shoulder.

"I'm not mad at you, I was just worried." He didn't know how to say everything in the right way. This was all so hard, and Tony and never been good at caring about people, much less expressing it. It was like everything he wanted to say was trapped in his mouth, but it all got chewed but before he could say it, and it came out jumbled and messy. God, he felt like such a child.

Peter's voice was quiet as he reached for the older man's arm. "Tony?"

Stark realized he hadn't said anything in a while, and quickly shoved his chewed-up words from his mouth.

"I'm sorry for what I had to do to you, back there. I know it was horrible, and it was my fault and- If you want to stop being Spider-Man or stop being an Avenger, I understand. I didn't mean for this to happen, I didn't want this for you. And if it takes a while to forgive me I understand."

Peter frowned, confused. "What…did you do?"

Tony blinked, starting at the kid with shock. "The…" He gestured to Peter's chest, and the teenager looked down, pressing his hands against his shirt.

"Oh, I actually don't even remember most of it. I don't know what happened, and Aunt May won't tell me. She just said I got hurt and you saved me. Why would I want to stop being Spider-Man?"

Tony didn't know what to say. May didn't want her nephew to know, maybe he shouldn't tell him.

"You don't remember?"

Peter shook his head. "I was going to ask you. Or ask Karen once you fixed the suit. What do I have to forgive you for?" He didn't look scared, even as he sat in a wheelchair, covered in bandages and too weak to stand. He wasn't afraid, only worried about…Tony?

"You can tell me." He was still so young, and Stark didn't want to take away anymore innocence than he already had. But he couldn't say no to those huge eyes looking up at him, and if he didn't tell him, he'd only find out a way to get the information himself and that could be worse.

"You…took a hit from one of Thanos' aliens, and you were bleeding out. I had to stop it, so I…I cauterized the wound with one of the beams from my Iron Man suit." Tony felt like throwing up just thinking about it, and swallowed thickly as his face turned slightly pale.

"Mantis tried to help but you were in a lot of pain, and we almost lost you. You wouldn't stop screaming. Then I flew you here."

Peter looked a little pale too, and pressed his hand back to his chest. At least now he finally understood why his wound looked the way it did. Tony spoke again, watching Peter's furrowed brows, and hoping he could still be forgiven.

"I'm so sorry, that you had to go through that. I should never have brought you into this battle and-"

Peter interrupted, one hand still on his ribs while the other held the plant on his lap. His fingers gently tapped at the coffee cup, as he thought.

"That would have been horrible for you."

Tony didn't think he'd heard right. "What?"

Peter looked up at him, face pinched in concern, rather than anger that Tony had thought he'd be faced with.

"I can't believe you did that for me. I can't stand to watch May even cry and you saved me when I was…" His eyes flittered away as he remembered something. "I had a nightmare, where you were talking to me and I was in so much pain I couldn't think about anything else. I could hear someone screaming…I didn't know it was me."

Tony took a deep breath. "Those nightmares might take a while to go away, but everyone gets them, trust me. Don't deal with them by yourself either, talk to Ned or your Aunt May and you have my number if you want to talk to me about them. Everyone gets them, trust me. Even Natasha."

Peter looked shocked, but he had a hint of something else in his eyes, like a little bit of relief.

"Black Widow has nightmares?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah, we do some pretty scary stuff, and you almost died so, you're entitled to some bad dreams."

He hesitated then, not knowing if he wanted an answer.

"How much do you remember from the battle?"

Peter looked down at his plant as he thought, touching the flowers lightly with a gentle finger, eliciting a high-pitched, happy hum from each bud he stroked.

"I was really scared, and I didn't really know what I was doing, but everyone needed protecting so I just went for it. That Thanos guy was massive, and…it's kind of hard to put the pieces together, some bits are missing, I think. The last thing I remember was swinging around with Groot and Rocket. Those guys are so cool, and we were taking down the aliens while you guys went for Thanos but then one of the aliens went for you and I thought you were going to die. So, I went to stop it But I didn't have enough time to do anything and I just… jumped in front of you before it could stab you."

Tony felt like throwing up again. Peter had saved his life. And he hadn't known.

Tony let out a scared breath. "You could have died. You…almost died."

Peter looked up at him again, smiling like nothing was wrong. "But you saved me back, so we're all good."

Tony was speechless. God, this kid was so brave and selfless and… he leant down and pulled the boy into a hug.

Peter hesitated, voice shocked. "There's no door this time."

Stark laughed a little. "No, no door. This one's a hug. Thought you deserved one."

Peter let go of the plant and hugged him back, smiling as he squeezed his hero back.

Tony let go after a moment and ruffled the kids hair, unable to help himself.

"Thanks, Pete."

Peter looked amazed, eyes bright. "Uh… you're welcome, Mr Stark."

Tony picked up Peter's bags from the floor and stood behind Peter's wheelchair, pushing him out into the hallway.

"Let's get you home, Spider-Man."


	5. Chapter 5

(AN: lol I thought I was done with this fic but apparently not lol here we go please tell me what you think?!)

Peter slumped in his chair, less than enthused about his social studies class. He was fully healed, and itching to go on a Spider-Man mission, but Tony was still worried.

A worried Tony meant being checked up on constantly, and his suit tracker fully functioning. Tony had even put a tracker in his watch just in case something happened when he wasn't in his suit.

Peter would have complained about it being a breach in privacy but Mr Stark had saved his life and almost seen him die, so he figured he owed him some peace of mind.

He wasn't the only one being over protective either, his Aunt May barely wanted him to go to school, and Ned was stuck to his side like a toddler on his first day of kindergarten. Of course, he appreciated it, he knew they'd been through a lot when he'd gotten hurt, and everything they did was out of love, but man, it was intense.

Michelle interrupted his thoughts as she ruffled his hair with a clumsy hand. It was less friendly and more purposely annoying, and he frowned as she removed her hand to punch him in the shoulder with it.

He rubbed his shoulder as he grumbled at her. "What?"

"You weren't at school for like, two weeks." Her tone indicated that she didn't care, or at least that she didn't want him to think she did. She took a seat beside him, dunking her books noisily on her desk.

Peter rolled his eyes as Ned suddenly wrapped his arms protectively around him, squeezing him gently while he scolded M.J.

"Don't hit him! Be gentle he's still hea-"

Peter shook his friend off and patted down his sweater, before slumping back to his desk.

"Ned, I'm fine. I missed school 'cause I was busy with the Stark internship.

Michelle whispered to him as the lights dimmed and the teacher started up the screen at the front of the room.

"Well you're lucky because we've been talking about nothing but the newest alien attack. There's been so many, I think we're used to it by now."

Peter's heart jolted in his chest, and he sat up, suddenly paying attention to every word being said. "What?"

She didn't look at him, just pointed to the front of the class, where the teacher was beginning to play camera footage of the latest alien attack. The one he almost died in.

It was the first time he'd seen any videos of it, he didn't think there was any. After Tony told him what happened he hadn't wanted to see, and he'd decided not to ask newly repaired Karen for any details. But now it was playing out in bright sound and colour, and it was like all the air was sucked from the room.

Aliens flashed across the screen as things blew up in the background. The footage was shaky, like whoever was filming had been running away as they took it, but there they all were, running amongst the monsters that sought to kill them.

Cap's shield flew across the sky, and multiple figures flew across the screen with it, charging at the onslaught of aliens.

Ned nudged Peter with his elbow, whispering about how big the aliens were, but Peter couldn't respond, he couldn't breathe. All he could do was stare at the huge masses of terrifying bulk that he'd fought on that battle field.

He hadn't been able to remember all of it, and what he could be chose not to think about, but there they were on the screen right in front of him, huge and howling. He'd almost died. Those things had almost killed him and his friends.

Ned's elbow stopped poking him, turning into a hand that gently gripped his shoulder.

"Peter? Are you okay?"

The person holding the camera screamed, as things exploded around them, and suddenly the screen was full of Tony. His mask hiding what Peter knew to be a worried face, as he picked up the civilian and flew them further away from the fight. His voice was hard anger, wrapped over fear and worry.

"Get out of here! Get to safety!"

Peters heart jolted in his chest, as his mind threw images at him. But they weren't the ones in the screen before him.

These were memories, and they were sharp and hot, and he flinched in his chair as he was assaulted with them.

An image of Tony hovering above him, face crumpled in grief, his own mouth tasting of copper as he mumbled apologies.

His heart beat so hard in his chest, that he lifted a hand to press against it, fingers burying themselves in his sweater. He felt as if he were having a heart attack, each pounding of his heart transporting him between past and present, snapping him between flash backs and reality.

Boom. The classroom was dark and the sounds of the battle echoed off the cold floor, explosions and screams from both human and alien fighters.

Boom. Mantis' warm hands on his temples, her huge eyes hovering above him as he screamed. The agony was overwhelming and he was made of pain.

Boom. He was on the floor and Ned was gripping his shoulders as he tried to suck in just one breath.

Peter couldn't take another jolt. He couldn't face another memory. It was too much and he was drowning, suffocating, he was going to die. Shaking legs ached as he tore from the room, running out into the brightly lit hall, and finding the first empty room he could find. Clammy fingers locked the door and found his ears to block out the noise.

Peter stumbled to the middle of the empty room, as his teacher and classmates pounded on the door. His knees buckled as another memory flickered to life in his head, nurses and doctors and strangers surrounding him, poking him, and pressing down on his chest where it hurt the most.

Another scream pierced the air, as Peters throat tore apart. His eyes were clenched shut as he pressed his hands to his ears, rocking on his knees on the hard floor, and just begging for someone to help him breathe.

It felt like he was on that ground for so long. Kneeling there, in an eternity of pain and fear, and hot tears falling down his cheeks.

His trembling mouth mumbled apologies, and he couldn't keep track of how long he'd been on the floor, begging for Tony to forgive him.

"I'm sorry, Tony. I'm so sorry, please, I can't do this. Help me, I can't…I…Tony…Please, I can't. I'm sorry."

Suddenly, glass broke and fell, raining down somewhere close by, but Peter only flinched, unable to defend himself from whatever had just broken into the classroom.

Metal pounded against the floor, vibrating peters shoes as he sobbed. And then that voice that he knew so well, close to his ear and as comforting and gentle as he'd ever heard it.

"I'm here Peter, you're okay kid. You're safe, I promise but you have to breathe."

A firm finger lifted his chin, but he kept his eyes closed and his hands over his ears as his shallow pants whistled through his teeth. He didn't want to see anymore, he didn't want to relive that pain again.

The voice came, as Peter shook his head. "Come on, Pete, you're safe, just take slower breaths."

Peter whimpered as sobs wracked his body, constricting his chest, and making it even harder to pull in air. If he didn't breathe soon he'd pass out.

"Dammit. I'm sorry kid, this will pinch a little."

A click and a pain in his arm, sharp and quick. He whimpered at the jab, and pulled his arm away, hands falling from his ears, and eyes opening to see Tony, kneeling in front of him, with a worried expression.

Peter's breathing was slowing down significantly, and his heart calmed from its thunder. He was exhausted, and slumped as he blinked at that face in front of him.

"Tony?"

The man nodded and took Peter's arms gently in his hold, looking him over for any damage and sighing when he found none.

"You're okay, everything's all right. You just had a panic attack, a pretty bad one, so I gave you something to help calm you down."

The teenager nodded, sitting heavily on his haunches, and let out a sob.

"I couldn't make it stop. The images-they just kept on coming. And it hurt so bad and I was so scared. I didn't know what to do."

Tony's chest ached for the kid. He was back in school, he was safe, he was supposed to be focusing on being a regular kid again. It wasn't fair.

But here he was, sobbing on the floor of an empty classroom, body sagging to the floor from the weight of the sedatives Tony had injected into his system. He couldn't take it anymore, he couldn't pretend like it didn't hurt him or like he didn't care.

He wrapped his arms around the kid and pulled him into a hug, holding the back of Peter's head as he sobbed into his shoulder. This kid had been through enough.

"You're okay, I got you. Just breathe, kid. I'm here, you're safe now."

Peter's arms were tight around Tony's waist and he shook with every gasping breath. He shook his head. "No, it was awful. You were…you almost…and then there was just so much pain. It wouldn't stop and when it finally did I was all alone. I can't…I can't do this."

Tony clenched his teeth, holding the teenager tighter as he spoke, voice firm but laced with a softness that he reserved for a select few.

"Yes, you can, Peter. You're okay, and I am too. We're safe, no one's coming to get you here. I won't let anything happen to you, ever again."

It took a little while for Peter to calm down, but it was easier with Tony there, and the sedatives numbing his brain. Finally, he sucked in a shaky breath and let go of his mentor.

Tony sat back, watching Peter's face as he wiped his eyes, head dipped low in embarrassment. His voice was quiet, like a child's.

"I'm sorry."

Tony couldn't help himself, he tried to be as casual as he could while brushing Peter's fringe away from his face with a gentle finger. "You don't have to be sorry. Remember when I said everyone gets nightmares? We get this too."

Peter lifted his face, eyes wide and trusting. Tiny offered him a reassuring smile.

"I know it's hard. It's the part of being a hero that no one tells you about, but if you want to keep being a hero, and keep helping people, then it's all worth it right?"

A knock on the classroom door made Peter turn, and he ducked his head once more, cheeks red. His teacher, and all his class mates were standing outside the door, staring. Ned and MJ looked worried but Peter couldn't feel anything but small.

"Everyone saw."

Tony shrugged, getting his phone out as Peter rubbed at his eyes, tiredly. "And I broke a window. Don't worry, I'll have everything fixed and explain the situation to your teacher."

Huh, he had broken a window. The Iron Man suit was just standing, waiting amongst the smashed glass on the floor. Tony must have flown through it to get to him.

The teenager made a face, one between confusion and apprehension. "You're going to tell them Spider-Man had a panic attack in class?"

Tony smiled just a little, tapping at his phones screen.

"No, I'm going to make up an excuse that explains this while also making you look cool enough that your class mates will leave you alone about it. Happy will help you to the car, you'll probably want to sleep this whole thing off."

Peter hadn't noticed the car waiting outside, but there Happy was, walking through the debris to gently take the boys arms and help him off the floor.

He didn't look as grumpy as he usually did, he actually looked a little concerned as he supported Peter's weight and looked him over for damage.

"You okay? Rough day at school huh?" The sedative made Peter feel sleepy and a little wobbly, so he just nodded and accepted Happy's help to the car to lay down.

Tony watched the kid curl up in the back seat, making himself small as possible. He felt a little better when Peter accepted a juice box from the other man, mouth forming something akin to a smile.

The teacher knocked on the door again, and Tony sighed in annoyance as he got up and unlocked the door.

"Mr Harris, isn't it? Peter tells me you do great slide show presentations. Would you mind if I talk to you for a moment?" He led the man away from the group of kids as they all stared, being sure to make it far away enough that it wouldn't be obvious he wanted them to hear.

The ruffled social studies teacher didn't seem to know what to say, stuttering a few words before Tony interrupted.

"Well, he just started freaking out and I- it was just a clip and-"

"Yes, Ned called me and told me what happened, that's why I'm here. I'm sure you know about Peter's involvement in an internship at my company, and…when that attacked started, Peter was with me. We were driving to one of my labs when those things attacked the car. He pushed me out before we were crushed but he was hurt very badly. We almost lost him."

A few gasps came from the kids gathered behind them, and Mr Harris let out a breath of disbelief himself.

"That's why he was away for two weeks?"

Tony nodded solemnly, and leant closer, as if confiding in the man. "He took a little while to recover, but the whole experience was hard on him, so if you could keep him away from anything about those attacks, I'd appreciate it. His Aunt May and I have been trying to keep it away from him, but it's everywhere."

The teacher nodded and pointed out the shattered window, where the car waited for him.

"Of course. You'll take him home? Will he be okay?"

Tony nodded and tapped at his phone, sending the Iron Man suit flying off back home, as kids took pictures.

"Yeah, he'll be okay, he's a tough kid. I'll take care of him till his aunt finishes work. And I'll pay for that window. Anyway, I have to get going, it was nice to meet you."

Mr Harris accepted a handshake before Tony turned to Ned, the whole class watching in awe as they completed a simple, yet secret, handshake.

"Thanks for calling me, Ned, and uh…visit Peter after school? He'll want to talk about what happened. I'll see you at Aunt Mays for family dinner, all right?"

Ned nodded, face brighter than an arc reactor at the public display of friendship from Tony Stark, in front of his whole class.

Tony smiled, knowing exactly what he was doing. But the kid deserved it, he'd called Tony as soon as Peter started freaking out, so he figured he owed him one.

The stares, whispers, and occasional camera flashes, did not escape his notice as he left through the same window he'd come on through, but he didn't care. Peter was almost asleep as he lay curled on the back seat of the car, and Tony patted his arm as he took the seat next to him. He was lucky it was a limo or they'd never fit.

Peter's sleepy eyes blinked sluggishly as Tony placed his jacket over him, and his words were quiet in the lush vehicle.

"Thanks for saving me again."

Tony smiled, not looking at him as he brushed the teenager's hair back. "Anytime, kid."


End file.
